Kanya King, Mobo Awards Founder, Dies at 57 Following Cancer Battle

Kanya King, the visionary founder of the Mobo Awards, has died aged 57 following a battle with colon cancer, the Mobo Organisation announced. Born to a Ghanaian father and Irish mother in Kilburn, north London, King created one of the music industry's most significant cultural institutions, celebrating Black British artists who were frequently overlooked by other award ceremonies.

From Council Estate to Cultural Transformation

Working as a television researcher, King identified a critical gap in the music industry: no major awards ceremony existed to honour Black British musicians and the genres they pioneered. Rather than accept industry scepticism about market viability, she took an extraordinary personal risk. She remortgaged her home without institutional backing or industry support to fund the inaugural Mobo Awards, which debuted in 1996—just six weeks after her decision.

The gamble proved transformative. What began as a single event evolved into an arena-filling celebration that shaped British music culture for nearly three decades. The awards have recognised artists spanning multiple generations and genres, from So Solid Crew and Amy Winehouse to contemporary figures including Stormzy, Dave, Raye, and Olivia Dean. The Mobo Organisation described her creation as more than an awards show: "It was an act of cultural justice. Mobo did not just celebrate Black music; it legitimised it, amplified it, and demonstrated its commercial and creative power to a world that had too often chosen not to see it."

Recognition and Resilience

King's contributions to British culture earned formal recognition when she received a CBE in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours List. She was also set to receive an Ivors Academy Honour in 2025. In a demonstration of characteristic determination, King appeared on stage at the Mobo Awards in Newcastle in 2025, months after her diagnosis, declaring: "I never allowed someone to define my limits. Not in life. Not in business. And I'm certainly not going to have that happen now." She passed away on 3 June, surrounded by family and close friends.